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Powała A, Żołek T, Brown G, Kutner A. Structure and the Anticancer Activity of Vitamin D Receptor Agonists. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6624. [PMID: 38928329 PMCID: PMC11203455 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D is a group of seco-steroidal fat-soluble compounds. The two basic forms, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), do not have biological activity. They are converted in the body by a two-step enzymatic hydroxylation into biologically active forms, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 [ercalcitriol, 1,25(OH)2D2] and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [calcitriol, 1,25(OH)2D3], which act as classical steroid hormones. 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts most of its physiological functions by binding to the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is present in most body tissues to provide support to a broad range of physiological processes. Vitamin D-liganded VDR controls the expression of many genes. High levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 cause an increase in calcium in the blood, which can lead to harmful hypercalcemia. Several analogs of 1,25(OH)2D3 and 1,25(OH)2D2 have been designed and synthesized with the aim of developing compounds that have a specific therapeutic function, for example, with potent anticancer activity and a reduced toxic calcemic effect. Particular structural modifications to vitamin D analogs have led to increased anticancer activity and reduced calcemic action with the prospect of extending work to provide future innovative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Powała
- Department of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Stefana Banacha, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Teresa Żołek
- Department of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Stefana Banacha, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Geoffrey Brown
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK;
| | - Andrzej Kutner
- Department of Drug Chemistry Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Stefana Banacha, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
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Zárate-Ruíz A, Seoane S, Peluso-Iltis C, Peters S, Gregorio C, Guiberteau T, Maestro M, Pérez-Fernández R, Rochel N, Mouriño A. Further Studies on the Highly Active Des-C-Ring and Aromatic-D-Ring Analogues of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (Calcitriol): Refinement of the Side Chain. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15326-15339. [PMID: 37910811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Current efforts in the vitamin D field are directed toward the development of highly antiproliferative yet noncalcemic analogues of the natural hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3). We have recently reported the design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and crystal structures of a series of novel analogues that both lack the steroidal C-ring and have an m-phenylene ring replacing the steroidal cyclopentane D-ring. We have now investigated the potentiating effects of incorporating selected modifications (hexafluorination and/or an internal triple bond) within the steroidal side chain in our series. An alternative synthetic strategy (Wittig-Horner approach instead of our previously used Pd-catalyzed tandem cyclization/cross-coupling) for the construction of the vitamin D triene system was found convenient for the target compounds 2, 3a, 3b, and 3c of this report. These modifications enhance vitamin D nuclear receptor (VDR) interactions and consequently VDR-associated biological properties compared to parental PG-136 compound while maintaining normal calcium levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli Zárate-Ruíz
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Research Laboratory Ignacio Ribas, University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. de las Ciencias s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Samuel Seoane
- Department of Physiology-Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. Barcelona s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15706, Spain
| | - Carole Peluso-Iltis
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC); Institut National de La Santé et de La Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1258; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Illkirch 67400, France
| | - Stefan Peters
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Research Laboratory Ignacio Ribas, University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. de las Ciencias s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Carlos Gregorio
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Research Laboratory Ignacio Ribas, University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. de las Ciencias s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Thierry Guiberteau
- Laboratoire ICube─Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7357, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Miguel Maestro
- Department of Chemistry-CICA, University of A Coruña, Campus da Zapateira s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain
| | - Román Pérez-Fernández
- Department of Physiology-Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. Barcelona s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15706, Spain
| | - Natacha Rochel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC); Institut National de La Santé et de La Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1258; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Illkirch 67400, France
| | - Antonio Mouriño
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Research Laboratory Ignacio Ribas, University of Santiago de Compostela, Avda. de las Ciencias s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
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3
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Abstract
It took several hundred million years of evolution, in order to develop the endocrine vitamin D signaling system, which is formed by a nuclear receptor, the transcription factor VDR (vitamin D receptor), its ligand, the vitamin D3 metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and several metabolizing enzymes and transport proteins. Even within the nuclear receptor superfamily the affinity of VDR for 1,25(OH)2D3 is outstandingly high (KD = 0.1 nM). The activation of VDR by 1,25(OH)2D3 is the core mechanism of genomic signaling of vitamin D3, which results in the modulation of the epigenome at thousands of promoter and enhancer regions as well as finally in the activation or repression of hundreds of target gene transcription. In addition, rapid non-genomic actions of vitamin D are described, which are mechanistically far less understood. The main function of vitamin D is to keep the human body in homeostasis. This implies the control of calcium levels, which is essential for bone mineralization, as well as for pushing of innate immunity to react sufficiently strong to microbe infection and preventing overreactions of adaptive immunity, i.e., not to cause autoimmune diseases. This review will discuss whether genomic signaling is sufficient for explaining all physiological functions of vitamin D3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Carlberg
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-10748 Olsztyn, Poland; School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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Vitamin D in the Context of Evolution. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14153018. [PMID: 35893872 PMCID: PMC9332464 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For at least 1.2 billion years, eukaryotes have been able to synthesize sterols and, therefore, can produce vitamin D when exposed to UV-B. Vitamin D endocrinology was established some 550 million years ago in animals, when the high-affinity nuclear receptor VDR (vitamin D receptor), transport proteins and enzymes for vitamin D metabolism evolved. This enabled vitamin D to regulate, via its target genes, physiological process, the first of which were detoxification and energy metabolism. In this way, vitamin D was enabled to modulate the energy-consuming processes of the innate immune system in its fight against microbes. In the evolving adaptive immune system, vitamin D started to act as a negative regulator of growth, which prevents overboarding reactions of T cells in the context of autoimmune diseases. When, some 400 million years ago, species left the ocean and were exposed to gravitation, vitamin D endocrinology took over the additional role as a major regulator of calcium homeostasis, being important for a stable skeleton. Homo sapiens evolved approximately 300,000 years ago in East Africa and had adapted vitamin D endocrinology to the intensive exposure of the equatorial sun. However, when some 75,000 years ago, when anatomically modern humans started to populate all continents, they also reached regions with seasonally low or no UV-B, i.e., and under these conditions vitamin D became a vitamin.
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Rochel N. Vitamin D and Its Receptor from a Structural Perspective. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14142847. [PMID: 35889804 PMCID: PMC9325172 DOI: 10.3390/nu14142847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The activities of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 1,25D3, are mediated via its binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor that belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Numerous studies have demonstrated the important role of 1,25D3 and VDR signaling in various biological processes and associated pathologies. A wealth of information about ligand recognition and mechanism of action by structural analysis of the VDR complexes is also available. The methods used in these structural studies were mainly X-ray crystallography complemented by NMR, cryo-electron microscopy and structural mass spectrometry. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge of VDR structures and also to explore the recent progress in understanding the complex mechanism of action of 1,25D3 from a structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Rochel
- Integrated Structural Biology Department, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67404 Illkirch, France;
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, 67404 Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1258, 67404 Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
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